


Shattering The Shield

by MissKita



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Canon Compliant, ChillXV, Explicit Language, GladnisWeek2017, GladnisXV, Grief/Mourning, M/M, Minor Character Death, Romance, gladnisweek
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-04
Updated: 2017-12-04
Packaged: 2019-01-30 05:25:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,527
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12646989
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissKita/pseuds/MissKita
Summary: Ignis comforts Gladio after the fall of Insomnia and the death of his father.





	Shattering The Shield

**Author's Note:**

  * For [chiii](https://archiveofourown.org/users/chiii/gifts).



The beach at Galdin Quay was a dark and shimmering jewel. The stars above Ignis were billions of twinkling white pinpricks holding back the abyss of the sky. Moonlight glittered on the still surface of the ocean, and the tide gently lapped the shore. Sand shifted under Ignis’ shoes as he made his way across the beach.

It was late at night or early in the morning, depending on who you asked, and Ignis had awakened to find Gladiolus missing. He’d laid on his back staring up at the top of the tent for several minutes, weighing the pros and cons of following Gladiolus. His side of the tent was still warm where he’d been sleeping next to Ignis with his arms curled around his waist. Their relationship was new and extremely secret, but Ignis allowed this small pleasure at night. Perhaps that’s what had truly awakened him, the sudden absence of Gladiolus’ strength cocooning him and missing his warm, even breathing on the back of his neck.

After a few moments, Ignis had decided to look for him. Unlike the rest of the resort, the beach of Galdin Quay was not safe from daemons, and if Gladiolus had gone too far from the haven, he _could_ be in danger. It wasn’t wise to fight a daemon alone, not even for the Shield of Lucis.

The resort was closed at this hour, but he still made his way over. The resort was dark and empty — eerie in that way buildings were when the life had left them. There were no lights on in the hotels. With the exception of the stars and the bulbs that lit the bridge, the moon was the only light Ignis could see.

He made his way away from the resort. Shoes on the shifting sand, he crossed his arms against the slight chill in the air and scanned the area thoughtfully. The haven shimmered several feet away and the Regalia was on the other end of the beach, parked and safe.

Where did Gladiolus go?

He cast a glance over his shoulder. The island of Angelgard was a dark a winged shape on the horizon, cutting through the sky, but there was no sign of Gladiolus.

Ignis could’ve given up. Maybe Gladiolus had gone to relieve himself and had decided to take a stroll. It wouldn’t be beyond him. The man truly enjoyed nature, and he’d clearly been smitten with Galdin Quay before the news of Insomnia had reached their oblivious little quartet.

But that was why he didn’t turn back. The fall of Insomnia had come to them only three days prior. In all the chaos and business that followed — meeting Cor, overlooking Insomnia from a distance, getting confirmation that their home was destroyed, going to the Tomb to collect the Sword of the Wise — had kept them busy and unable to truly dwell on the horror that had taken place in Insomnia.

He still remembered how quiet and calm that morning had been when he’d gotten up before everyone else in their hotel room at Galdin Quay to get coffee and look into current events. It was so early that only a skeleton crew was on staff, but he’d sensed something was wrong. The way Coctura, the head chef at Mother of Pearl, was staring at a newspaper piqued his interest and sent dread through him. He’d politely asked what was wrong, and she’d silently handed him the newspaper.

He’d read the headline and the lede three times before it truly hit him.

 

**INSOMNIA FALLS**

**_As treaty room tempers flared, blasts lit the night sky._ **

**_When the smoke about the Citadel had cleared, the king was found dead._ **

 

Disbelief. Anguish. Confusion. Grief. Numbness. It had all hit him at once as he’d stood there on that disgustingly perfect morning and read and reread that headline several times until he couldn’t see the text anymore because his hands were shaking so badly and his vision had blurred. He’d fled the resort. Taken a quick walk to gather his thoughts, to figure out how to place this news into Noctis’s hands. His heart had shattered for Noctis, for Insomnia, his friends and family who’d been left behind and for Gladiolus’ family at the same time. What of Clarus and young Iris? That sweet girl. That brave man. And his king.

All gone? Just like that? His chest had hurt and he was sure his actual heart was shattering along with his emotional one.

His mind had rushed, trying to piece together details, trying desperately to understand what had happened. They’d left the Crown City under false pretenses, that much was now certain. But how could he be angry at a dead man?

Half blind with tears, he’d walked quickly, avoiding people's faces, clutching the newspaper in his hand as he marched for the Regalia to compose himself in private. He’d struggled to keep it together, inhaling and exhaling deeply, taking in lungfuls of salty sea air.

Seeing the stately car sitting patiently nearly broke him, as he was reminded that it was King Regis’s own vehicle of old.  When he’d reached the Regalia, he’d fumbled with the keys, dropped them twice, and barely was able to open the door. He’d slid into the driver’s seat of the car, slammed the door, dropped the paper and let his head sink onto the steering wheel.

The tears wouldn’t come. Not at first. He sat there, breathing hard, eyes closed, shaking. The faces of the people of Insomnia whom they’d built relationships with flashed before his mind. Then the faces of those he would have to give this horrible news to in only a few minutes. Prompto would be OK. His family was with him on this journey. But Noctis? His dear friend, his charge would be utterly destroyed.

And Gladiolus? What of Iris? Clarus Amicitia was Regis’ Shield. Surely if the king had died….

The tears came. Hot and thick they slid down his cheeks. He tried to control them, but it was futile. His entire body shook with quiet sobs and the tears flowed freely. His own strangled sobs filled the cabin of the Regalia, where only a few hours ago the four of them had been goofing off, singing along to a stupid song on the radio and listening to Prompto obsess over the busty mechanic in Hammerhead. They’d been lied to.

Frustrated with his own emotional weakness, he sat up straight, removed his tear-dampened glasses and found a handkerchief to clear his eyes. He inhaled several times, leaning against the back seat and staring outward at the beach resort in the distance, but not really seeing it. It seemed wrong for this place to be so beautiful and bright when such darkness shrouded his world.

He inhaled again, composed himself, mind clear. He had to keep it together.  

“Okay, Scientia,” Ignis had said to himself as he opened the door and swung his legs out onto the gravel. “Stiff upper lip. It’s time.”  

Ignis shook the memory away, focusing on the task at present. He put his hands on his hips and thought. If he was Gladiolus, where would he go to be alone?

He hadn’t seen Gladiolus break down yet. Gladiolus was a vocal man, not one to hide his emotions from him at least. Sure, he wouldn’t let Noctis see him falter, but Ignis? It wouldn’t be the first time they’d come to one another with the hard and ugly things that tormented them. It was their way. It was how their friendship had evolved into something else. If Gladio needed him, he wanted to be that pillar of strength.

He continued to look for him.  Something made him turn around and head in the direction of Angelgard, where the rocks were steeper and the land around the resort less groomed on that part of the shore.

That’s where he found him. A lone figure sitting at the edge of a cliff, shrouded in shadow and moonlight. He knew it was Gladiolus just from the shape. He approached quietly, carefully making his way around sharp rocks and an uneven path. When he was within earshot, he opened his mouth to speak, but Gladiolus beat him to it.

“Shouldn’t you be asleep?” Gladiolus asked. His voice was calm and clear, there was no strain, no angst.

Ignis chuckled softly. “May I join you?” Gladiolus shrugged, and Ignis took that as a yes. He eased down next to Gladiolus, sitting close enough that their legs brushed. His feet dangled over the edge, where the sea lapped against rocks below. “I feared you’d been devoured by daemons.”

His bad attempt at humor got a ghost of a chuckle from Gladiolus, whose attention was still turned toward the moon. He could make out his features quite well thanks to the large and bright full moon looming over them. Gladiolus’ brow was furrowed, his jaw set, his shoulders slumped. He radiated tension. He’d been like this since Insomnia fell, but he’d put on a brave face — they both had — to focus on the most important things between them: Noctis, the Kingdom, the Empire. Leading their retinue.

Survival and duty had to always come first. There was no time for wallowing in selfish _emotions_.

Ignis was a master at controlling his emotions, sometimes to his own detriment. Ignis didn’t bottle up indefinitely, he simply waited to express them when he was alone and not another soul could bear witness to his weaknesses.

Gladiolus had two modes: sitting on his emotions until he blew up or ignoring his emotions entirely and being taken off guard, and they would manifest in other ways. But punching the shit out of something wouldn’t fill the hole that had to be in the Shield’s heart. Ignis had been waiting on the other shoe to drop for the past three days. Some of Gladiolus’ smoldering tension had weakened once he’d found out that Iris was safe in Lestallum, but there was still another matter.

One that no one had addressed. Not Ignis, not Noctis, not Prompto and certainly not Gladiolus. No one said his name.

Clarus Amicitia, Shield of the late King Regis Lucis Caelum.

So Ignis waited quietly, taking in the exceptional view of the Galdin Quay resort while casting glances at Gladiolus, who had shifted closer to him but hadn’t said a word. Gladiolus’ hands were in his lap. Ignis inhaled and went for it — he slipped his hand over one of Gladiolus’ and let it rest there, all the while watching him for reaction.

Finally, Gladiolus met his gaze, his eyebrows quirking up just a bit. Ignis tilted his head in silent encouragement. It was his own fault, really. Ignis wasn’t one for displays of affection. Not because he didn’t enjoy them, but because he was unfamiliar with that. This thing with Gladiolus had only begun two months before this sham of a road trip.

Gladiolus turned his palm upward and Ignis cradled his hand. Ignis offered a faint smile, but Gladiolus didn’t return it. Instead, he looked away again, staring up at the sky as if searching for something.

They sat like that for a moment. No sound except for the water lapping the rocks below. No movement but the occasional white cloud gliding across a starlit sky or the chilly ocean wind that brushed their skin and played with their hair.

Ignis pushed closer, brushing their shoulders and tightening his grip on Gladiolus’ hand. “Gladio? Something is on your mind.”

“Is that a question or a statement?”

This got a little hum from Ignis. “You already know the answer to that. I do not wish to push you, but I want you to be quite certain that I am here, if you will have me.”

“Noted.” And yet, he did not open up. Not for several long minutes. But Ignis was patient. He had all night, if that was what it took. He cast his own gaze outward at the scene before them and waited. And waited. Exhaustion danced behind his eyes, and yet he would resist the call of sleep. He couldn’t rest when the man who held his heart was broken.

“We head to Lestallum soon, to meet with Iris. I’m sure you’re relieved,” Ignis said.

“I should’ve been there,” he said. His grip tightened on Ignis’ hand while he glared up at the sky. “If Regis hadn’t sent us away…”

“We had no idea what would happen. If we’d been there, we’d probably be…” Ignis stopped short. The word hung on his lips, and yet he swallowed it.

Gladiolus laughed, but it was devoid of humor. It was a harsh, miserable sound. “Dead? Iggy, go ahead, you can say it.”

Ignis said no such thing. “Iris is still with us. You’ll get to see her soon in Lestallum.”

Gladiolus said nothing to that, just huffed. He released the other’s hand, and Ignis returned his own hand to his lap, rubbing his sweaty palms on his pants. He dared not say anything else. He wanted his friend to speak.

“He died doing his duty. There’s no way he let Regis die without a fight.”

“He was a fine man. A brave man and Shield. He loved you and your sister dearly.”

“I can’t stop thinking about it.”

“About what?”

Gladiolus inhaled sharply and raked his fingers through his hair, shaking his head as if he was trying to clear away a fog. “Regis. My father. What were their last minutes like? What happened to my dad? And Iris….she’s out there in a strange city, grieving alone without her brother….”

“She has Jared with her.”

“She doesn’t have _me._ I’m her brother.” He put a hand to his chest for emphasis. “How? The Kingsglaive, the Crownsguard, all of those soldiers….my dad. In the end, none of them were able to protect Regis.”

Ignis opened his mouth to say something, but what? What could he possibly say? Gladiolus had a far-off look in his eyes. His voice was gruff and his mighty shoulders slumped.  

Gladio fell silent for a moment, then two words came out of him, threadbare and broken. “He failed.”

“Gladio, don’t —”

“He failed, Ignis,” Gladiolus said, his voice hard with emotions that were pushing up against him. Still, he wouldn’t meet his eyes. He shook his head, lips turned down in a severe frown. “With all of those soldiers, a Shield, Regis was still helpless. How can I do it? How can I fucking do it alone? To protect Noct and keep him safe in a fucking wild world?”

“You’re not alone. You have me.”

“I might have to do the same, Iggy. For Noctis.” There was a stony resolve in his voice, but also fear. And it was that, that fear that hurt Ignis most. He’d never known Gladiolus to be afraid.

Ignis’ heart stalled at that. Not because it was new information, but for the first time, that fact became real. They were in uncharted territory. It was one thing to swear an oath in a time of strained peace, safe within the walls of an impenetrable city.  It was entirely another in the wilds of Eos, with the Empire breathing down their necks. “I know. But you’re not in this alone, for I am by your side. That burden is not yours alone to bear. Though our roles may be different, I know the consequences as well.”

“You’re not listening, Iggy.”

“I bloody well am. I may not hold the title of Shield, but I am your compeer.” Ignis grabbed his hands and held them tight. “Look at me.”

Gladiolus did just that, and Ignis was taken aback by the tears brimming in his eyes. “I can’t do that, damn it.” He pulled away from Ignis and stood up, stomping off.

Ignis jumped up as well, his legs aching from sitting on that hard rock. He followed Gladiolus, running around him to get in front of him. They stood at the edge of the cliff. The wind was colder and had picked up. “Can’t do what?”

“I can’t ask you to do my damn job.”

“Of course not. And you’re entirely capable of doing it yourself. What I am saying is that you are not alone. As long as the stars are above you and I, you will never be alone.”

Gladiolus stared at him, his face filled with pain and grief. He shook his head, put his fist to his mouth and looked away.

Ignis had seen enough.

He closed the space between them and wrapped his arms around Gladiolus, pulling him to him. Gladiolus didn’t resist, in fact, he immediately held Ignis, pulling him in tight and engulfing him in warmth. He buried his face in Ignis’ neck and let out a shaky sigh.

Ignis blinked away tears that suddenly sprang into his eyes and stroked the back of Gladiolus’ head, raking his fingers through the man’s hair as his shoulders shook with suppressed sobs. Tears dampened his neck. He held Gladiolus up as steadily as he could, as the man’s full weight was mostly on his smaller, but strong, frame. “Gladio, I’m sorry.”

“I didn’t get to say goodbye…” It came out broken and so painful that Ignis’ own tears fell quietly down his cheeks. “I’m sorry.”

Clarus hadn’t been present the day the four of them had left the Citadel and said their goodbyes to a smiling but anxious King Regis.

“Nothing. No mention of him at all in the reports. No one will remember him. No one knows about his sacrifice.”

Ignis shook his head and tightened his grip, running soothing circles around his back and stroking his hair as if he alone could hold the man together.

Clarus Amicitia’s image floated into Ignis’ mind. He’d spent so much time at House Amicitia that the family was like his own. He and Iris had grown close, and he saw her as a sister. Clarus had been like a very stern father to him, always with a watchful eye and a surprising joke — it’s where Gladiolus had gotten his own dark sense of humor. A man with warm eyes even when standing tall and stern next to his dear friend Regis Lucis Caelum. The world had lost two fine men that day, no matter what the reports had said. Every soldier, every Shield was a full person before they swore that oath. Even if the pages of history only remembered the key players, the contributions of the many is what made it all possible.

“The people who loved him will remember him.” He meant it, but the words sounded hollow.

A broken sob escaped Gladiolus as he continued to cry against Ignis. “We fought the day before we left. I-I didn’t talk to him again. I can't fix it.”

Ignis didn’t ask what they’d fought about. It didn’t matter. In the grand tapestry of life, a small snag didn’t matter. “He knew you loved him.”

Gladiolus didn’t respond. He went on for a few more minutes, then his sobs seemed to settle. Ignis’ own tears dried on his face. They stood there, on that cliff, backs to Angelgard, drenched in moonlight, in silence.

Finally, Gladiolus let out a long, resigned sigh, as if a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. Gladiolus picked up his head and broke away. Ignis released him, but found he missed holding him. He let Gladiolus compose himself a moment and dry his eyes, looking away to give him privacy.

“Sorry about that….shit…” Gladiolus muttered.

“Never apologize for being human,” Ignis said. He caught one of Gladiolus’ hands and pressed his lips to one of his wet cheeks.

They met eyes. Gladiolus’ amber eyes shimmered with liquid moonlight. Ignis’ own green ones held the same quality.

“Shit, what are you crying for?” Gladiolus asked, his voice still cracked and gruff with emotion. His thumb was warm across Ignis’ cheek as he smoothed away a tear. Ignis ducked his head, face warm from embarrassment. It was rare for anyone to see Ignis cry.

His own voice was soft and raw. “What else am I to do when the man I love is in pain?”

Gladiolus’ eyes widened and, for the first time in three days, a watery smile graced his lips.  “You’re in love with me?”

“Wasn’t it obvious? I told you, Gladio. You are not alone,” Ignis said simply, though his heart thudded in his chest. He hadn’t planned to say such a thing, not yet. But they would need every ray of light they had at their disposal to combat these dark days. No regrets. Not anymore.

Gladiolus returned the sentiment, not with words, but with actions.  Drawing Ignis into his arms, he kissed him gently on the lips, holding him tight as if he was his anchor.

Ignis buried his face in Gladiolus’ chest, which made his glasses dig into his face, but he didn’t mind. Gladiolus’ chin was a pleasant pressure atop his head.

“Don’t tell anyone I was crying.”

“‘Course not. Your secret is safe with me.”

They stayed like that for a while.

 

**Author's Note:**

> The narrative seemed to forget that Gladio had a father to mourn. His lack of reaction to Insomnia's fall is strange and Clarus was seemingly wiped from memory somewhere between Kingsglaive and the beginning of FFXV. That's where this fic was born. 
> 
> Special thanks to HorologiumParadox for doing a glorious job betaing this!
> 
> Let me know what you think!


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